Folding chair



Feb. 20, 1934. W, H, G|| ETTE 1,948,216

FOLDING CHAIR Filed April 17 1933 Sme/who@ www Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENr OFFICE 6 Claims.

The invention relates to folding chairs and has for its objects to provide new and useful improvements in chairs of this character.

An important object of the invention is to provide a folding chair in which provision is madeV for adequately reinforcing the chair seat against distortion and ultimate damage by continued use, thereby making it possible to construct the seat of relatively thin slats or a light wooden panel.

A further. object is to provide means whereby when in open position, the chair seat is yieldingly held against accidental displacement or tendency to collapse in the direction in which the chair is folded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding chair of comparatively light weight and of rigid and durable construction in which few parts are employed and reinforcement obtained at the desired locations so as to adequately withstand prolonged usage. For eX- ample the chair back and front legs may together constitute a single unit, preferably of bent wood.

A further object is to provide a folding chair constructed so as to permit of complete nesting of the leg and seat elements when in folded position to obtain a maximum economy of space which is advantageous in stacking the folded chairs.

With such objects in view, as well as other advantages which may be Aincident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the use of the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with theunderstanding that, the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make theinvention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a folding chair constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention, the chair being illus- -trated in open position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation .of the chair in folded position.. y

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View in side ele- Q0 vation of the slotted portion of one of the rear L" leg members looking toward the inner side thereof.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6-6 of Fig.4;

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates an integral unitary U-shaped member preferably formed of bent wood but which mayV be constructed of metal, the upper closed portion 2 of said member constituting the chair back and the lower free ends of said member constituting the front legs 3. Suitable bracing elements, illustrated as crossed metal straps 4 or the like, may be provided and secured at their ends to the legs 3 to maintainv the spacing -of the latter and insuring against outward distortion due to the spring of the Wood or metal of which the member 1 is constructed. y

The upper part of the member 1 may be partially closed by an inserted panel 5 or the like 30 to add to the comfort of the chair occupan The rear legs of the chair are indicated at 6 and are pivotally secured at their upper ends as at 7 to the U-shaped member 1. Said rear legs are preferably suitably spaced from one another 8 5 and like the front legs are reinforced by correspending rear brace'or strap elements 8;

The chair seat is indicated generally at 9 and is illustrated as comprising a marginal frame including an integrally formed front frame vmember lfhaving secured thereto a rear frame memberA 1'1. The seat panel 12, preferably .con-

structed of relatively thin and' light wood .or

slats, is secured in any desired manner to the frame member 10 and 11 and may include on its 95 upper surface a cushion or lpad 13. 'I'he described chair seat assembly is preferably pivotally mounted on the front legs of the-chair andito this end I provide a single metal bar .or rod 14 extending transversely and beneath the chair seat to support and reinforce the relatively -thin f seat or panel l2. The rod is provided with flattened portions 15 adjacent its outer ends vwhich are secured by screws 16 to the lower surface of the framemember 10 and which insures against y105 any tendency for the bar 14 to turn. The outer axially aligned ends 14a of the .rod are not flattened but retain their cylindrical form andare mounted for pivotal movement, preferably' `in apertures 17 of bearing lplates J18, one'foreach .1.1.0

end of the rod and which plates are rigidly secured as by bolts or rivets 19 to the front legs 3 of the chair. If desired the outer extremities of the rod 14 may be upset as shown at 20 to insure against displacement from the bearing plates after the chair has been assembled.

The bearing plates 18 for the rod are provided as preferred construction to promote the life of the chair, but it will be obvious that the opposite pivotal extremities 14a of the rod may be directly journaled in suitably disposed recesses in the leg members 3 and the bearing plates omitted.

The central or median portion of the bar or rod 14 is preferably bent or oset upwardly within said frame for a material portion of its length as best seen at 14h in Fig. 4 vand at right angles to the plane of the flattened portions 15,

so as to snugly engage and reinforce the relatively thin seat panel 12.

This offset construction and arrangement of the rod 14 insures against undue deformation or splitting of thechair sea especially when occupied by persons of relatively heavy weight, and generally contributes to the strength, durability and long life of the chair.

The offset median portion of the bar or rod 14 is swaged at 14o as by stamping or clamping between suitable die members to impart a flattened portion which is substantially of I-beam configuration in cross-section as best seen in Fig. 6. The described deformation of the bar at this point augments the rigidity of the bar to resist downwardly imposed strains when the chair is occupied. To this end the bar is preferably flattened as described in a plane at right angles 'to the outer flattened portion 15 of the bar. In the described manner a bar which is of relatively small cross-sectional diameter is i swaged or stamped into a virtual girder design i to folded position.

and functions as such as resist strains and stresses during the use of the chair.

Each rear side edge of the chair seat frame is provided with a plate member 21 secured as at 22 to the chair seat frame or rim member 10, saidv plate members each having an outwardly projecting stud or trunnion 23 designed for slidable movement in opposed longitudinal recesses 24 on the inner sides of the rear legs 6. As best i seen in Fig. 5 the upper end of one or both recesses 25 is slightly offset or diminished in width as indicated at 25, to provide a restricted portion intermediate the ends of the recess which yieldably opposes the movement of the studs 23 when the chair is either opened or closed. Such construction guards against accidental collapse of the chair due to the studs 2 3 moving downwardly in the recesses 24, as for example when the chair is intentionally moved The construction is such as to require a slight exertion on the part of the user in folding the chair to move the studs 23 out of the reduced or oifset portions 25 of the recesses orgrooves 24.

In folding the chair it is merely necessary to grasp the chair back and seat and swing the latter upwardly on its pivotal bearings 14a in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. The resulting sliding movement of the studs 23 in the grooves of the rear legs brings the front and rear legs together as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, with the rear legs resting snugly against the flattened portions 15 of the rod 14 and between the front leg members 3 and the seat frame 10. The forward locationof the pivot points 14a. in the front leg members 3 results in theV chair seat cedure is followed, the seat being swung downwardly toward a horizontal position until the studs 23, sliding freely in grooves 24, reach and frictionally engage the reduced or offset portions 25 at the top of said recesses to be yieldably retained in adjusted open position. As will be obvious the movement of the chair seat toward and away from the back and front legs automatically controls the movement of the rear legs from open to closed position and vice versa.

What I claim is:

1. In a folding chair, the combination of a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally connected thereto, a chair seat having a marginal frame and a central panel secured thereto, said seat being slidably mounted in the rear legs, and a metal bar extending beneath said chair seat and pivotally mounted at its ends in said front legs, said bar having flattened portions adjacent its ends to which the lower face of the marginal frame is secured, the me- M dian portion of said bar being offset upwardly within said frame to engage and reinforce the central panel of the chair seat. g

2. In a folding chair, in combination: a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally M connected thereto, a chair seat pivotally mounted on said front legs, said rear legs having recesses on their inner sides, means carried by said chair seat for slidably engaging said recesses, each of said recesses having a restrict- F ed portion intermediate its ends to yieldably l maintain said slidable engaging means of the seat in position when the chair is open.

3. In a folding chair, in combination: a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally connected thereto, a chair seat having a mar- 1Q@ ginal frame and a central panel secured thereto, said seat being pivotally mounted on said front legs, said rear legs having recesses on their inner sides, means carried by said chair seat for slidably engaging said recesses, each of said Q5 recesses having a restricted portion intermediate its ends to yieldably maintain said slidably engaging means of the seat in position when the chair is open, and a round bar extending beneath said seat and having flattened portions adjacent its ends to which the lower face of the frame is secured, the median portion of said bar being offset upwardly within said frame for a portion of its length to` engage and reinforce the central panel of the chair seat, said iiat- SP5 tened portions of said bar resisting any tendency for said bar to turn and displace the offset portion thereof from engagement with said panel.

4. In a folding chair, in combination: a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally connected thereto, a chair seat having a marginal frame and a panel secured thereto said seat being pivotally mounted on said front legs, said rear legs having recesses on their inner sides, means carried by said chair seat for slidably engaging said recesses, and a round bar extending beneath said seat and having flattened portions adjacent its ends to which the sides of the frame are secured, the median por- H tion of said bar being offset upwardly withinsaid iso frame and stamped into an I-beam in crosssection for a portion its length to engage and reinforce the panel of the chair seat.

5. In a folding chair, the combination of a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally connected thereto, a chair seat having a marginal frame and a central panel portion secured thereto, said seat being slidably mounted in the rear legs, and a metal bar extending beneath said chair seat and pivotally mounted at its ends in said front legs, said bar being secured to the lower face of the frame of said chair seat and oset upwardly within said frame to engage and reinforce the central panel of the chair seat.

6. In a folding chair, in combination: a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally connected thereto, a chair seat having a marginal frame and a central panel secured thereto, said seat being pivotally mounted on said front legs, and having slidable engagement with said rear legs, and a round bar extending beneath said seat and having iiattened portions adjacent its ends to which the lower face of the frame is secured, the median portion of said bar being offset upwardly within said frame for a portion of its length to engage and reinforce the central panel of the chair seat, said attened portions of said bar resisting any tendency for said bar to turn and displace the 01T- set portion thereof from engagement with said panel.

WALTER H. GILLETTE. 

